Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

It started just as they all do. But instead of my juicer, it was the good ol’ blender this time around.

I was thinking of making a smoothie.

But, just wasn’t feelin’ it.

I knew I wanted something green and the fresh sugar snap peas from the farmer’s market caught my eye. I simply couldn’t resist.

Adding a bit of my favorite other greens did just the trick and complimented the delicate flavor of my sugar snap peas.

All spring peas are nutrient dense and delish, but I love using the greens when they first flower; adding them to this juice gives a burst of blossoming energy with each sip.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You may just have the energy to spring clean your home.

Hehe.

Well, okay let’s not go that far. But, you surely will reap the feel-good, taste-good bliss.

Drink up.

Sweet Pea Juice

Gluten-Free and Vegan

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup freshly pressed apple juice

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup sugar snap peas (and/or sweet pea greens, when in season)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish

1 very ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

Directions

Place apple juice and orange juice with the peas in a blender; pulse until liquefied. Add cilantro and avocado.

Transfer into serving glasses. Top with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Now if you’re feeling a bit creative and want to add in a lil’ extra bite to your juice, you can simply add a pinch of these little add-in’s. They offer more than mere flavor…each packs an impressive health punch that’ll keep you buzzin’ all day long.

Numerous studies link this white bulb to cancer prevention. Garlic’s anticancer chemical, diallyl disulfide, can be inactivated in heated too soon after peeling, so if you’re using garlic in cooking recipes, be sure to wait 15 minutes before cooking. As for this juice recipe, I used raw garlic. I simply chop 1 clove and plop it into the blender to add to my juices. Just be sure to brush those teeth after you sip as it may leave your breath a bit stinky.

Rosemary is great for juices and smoothies but I also love using this fresh herb for grilling, which can help cut carcinogen formation. If you’re using Rosemary for cooking, simply season your eats before cooking for a better bite. But, if you’re using it to toss into a smoothie or beverage, simply chop n’ toss in. I love adding fresh Rosemary springs to my fresh spring water with sliced lemons and cucumbers; it’s a refreshing and rejuvenating drink.

A compound in the spice called curcumin, Curry helps curb breast cancer. I like to sprinkle pure curcumin (it’s flavorless) into smoothies and juices for a healthy dose and fun yellow-orange tone. It’s also a great spice to add to guacamole, salsa, eggs and grilled tofu.

I added Cilantro to this juice, however, if you’d like you can feel free to add in some fresh basil, which tastes equally as sweet n’ delicious. I opted for Cilantro in this recipe because there’s a chemical in this lil’ green herb that kills salmonella, the bug behind many food-borne illnesses. Since I’ve been dealing with many stomach problems these past few months, I have started using more and more Cilantro in my everyday eats n’ sips. You can also add cilantro to your favorite dressings, salads, marinades and salsas.

Green Pea Tips n’ Thoughts…

When selecting snap peas, you can perform a bit of a ‘Fresh Test’ by snapping them open. When snapped, they should be plump and firm. If you are using sweet-pea greens, not that they tend to toughen pretty quickly and lose their sweetness, therefore I’d suggest using them when freshly picked.

Green peas can help you feel more energetic by providing nutrients that support the energy-producing systems of our bodies.

Though people have been eating lil’ green peas for centuries, sugar snap peas weren’t developed until the 70’s. Interesting, huh? These peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas.

I tend to enjoy sugar snap peas the most out of all the pea varieties.

How about you? Do you have a favorite pea?

Check out this interesting tool from Mother Earth News, which helps you lay out your garden from start to finish. Now that’s some inspiration for a summer backyard garden, isn’t it?

Love chop sticks but often yearn for that fork n’ knife, here’s a cute tool that I discovered which fits the pieces of cutlery together as they become an easy-to-use set of chopsticks in a funny way. Thought this was cute.

Thank you for the super sweet comment you left on my blog Amie! I’m so glad you stopped by and allowed me to find your little bloggy! I absolutely love this post! Great info about the health benefits of the spices and I had no idea about the garlic! I’ll be sure to let my little clove “rest” before throwing it into the pan!

This is a great idea! I am new to blending veggies to drink. Tonight I did 2/3 cup frozen sweet peas, 1 1/2 cups assorted organic salad greens with 1 cup apple juice and it was really good. I will admit I was pretty worried about this tasting weird, it looks weird, but filling. What a great treat.

this looks delicious. just wanted to let you know that i found your site through http://www.prevention.com/25-delicious-and-clean-detox-dishes (your recipe is #20). i was really disappointed with the juice because they botched your recipe so badly. i wish i’d just come directly to the source before following their instructions and blending the apples (diced) and oranges (segmented) — instead of including juice. they even left out the avocado! arghgh. i’ll try again with your ingredients and steps. maybe you should send them a message to ask that they properly quote the recipe if they are going to “borrow” from your site! glad i stumbled over here though, lots of good things i’m looking forward to trying out. -stephanie